Gemotions

The smell of crayons and paper always hit him first. A familiar scent, one that used to fill his own room, decades before. Now, it was his nephew, Leo, and the drawings of "Sparky," a creature with one bright, shimmering eye and a perpetually curious expression. The image was a mirror, reflecting his abandoned friend.

He felt a deep, twisting pain as he looked at the pictures. He'd been afraid, so scared of ridicule. He had betrayed a bond, a sacred pact. He’d abandoned his friend at the first sign of trouble.

He spent hours, now, watching Leo play, searching for an opening, a chance to… to what? To explain? To apologise? The guilt was a heavy chain that bound him, a constant reminder of his past failures.